“Efforts should be made to use materials and techniques which in themselves reduce the risk of corrosion. Where materials are used which are susceptible to corrosion the best approach to prevention is simplicity.

“Coating which requires complicated preparation techniques should be avoided if possible, and quality assurance should be strictly adhered to for coatings that require simple preparation techniques."

On a positive note, many new constructions now have cathodic protection incorporated into the specification at the design stage to combat the phenomenon of microbiologically influenced corrosion.

Meanwhile, ports that are already well-established shouldn’t neglect their piles either. Consider carrying out a full survey of all structures and implementing a maintenance program which prioritises the repair of any major defects found, but does not ignore the smaller problems. Then, once the condition of a structure has been established, ongoing monitoring should be instigated to establish site-specific corrosion rates.

“The problem the port owners and operators face is that of the existing structures that do not have cathodic protection,” says MCPS’ Glenn English. ”There is a risk of serious failure to these structures resulting in the possible collapse of the entire structure which may have human casualties and damage to expensive operational equipment such as cranes etc. not to mention the costs on down time of a jetty.

“In the event of such a disaster the Health and Safety body or insurer investigating will look into whether the Port did enough to stop it happening. If the prevention of MIC/ALWC is ignored then this could have major detrimental effects on ports.

“The image of derelict structures and their safety is enough to put off any ship owner/operator from selecting a port,” he warns.

There can also be more cost effective ways of combating corrosion. In-house training of maintenance staff in coatings and concrete inspection and reporting techniques can aid corrosion control. To this end, contractors claim that the equipment required for this type of work is now becoming more user-friendly, simple to operate, understand and cheaper to purchase.